Running Map – Van Cortlandt Park

Van Cortlandt Park

This is one of my favorite places to run in New York. You have a nice track, lots of trails, and a legendary cross-country course. What else could you want?

400m Track

Located in the southwestern corner of the park, this track isn’t anything spectacular. It hasn’t been resurfaced in a while, but you can’t really complain since it is open for public use. Great for interval workouts and time trials.

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Cross-Country Courses

The official 5K cross-country course. This is used for many big races, including the high school Footlocker Northeast Regional Championships.

Another popular course, very similar to the 5K course, is the 2.5 mile run. Because of tradition and the ability to compare themselves to the great runners of the past, this distance is still very popular as many of the local high school races still run the 2.5 mile rather than the 5K.

In New York City, the high school freshman (and younger kids) run a 1.5 mile cross-country course. They circle the flats and enter the woods. They run Freshman hill, run by the bridge (NOT across), run down hill and storm down the edge of the woods to the finish.

The Van Cortlandt Park Nature Trails

Like many runners in Van Cortlandt, they run the same loops over and over… These may not be the best for running fast or the longest trails, but it will help add a few extra miles and some new scenery to pass the time.

Cass Gallagher Nature Trail

Trailhead: A short walk in from the intersection of Broadway and Mosholu Avenue, near the horse stables.

John Kieran Trail

John Muir Trail

Trailhead: Enter either at Broadway and Mosholu Avenue or Van Cortlandt Park East and Oneida Avenue.

Length: 1.5 miles

Old Croton Aqueduct

The Old Croton Aqueduct is a forgotten treasure of Van Cortlandt Park. Please check out the separate running map that describes this trail which connects you to Tibbetts Brook Park.

Talk with other runners about Van Cortlandt Park at our message board.

Directions

Subway: The 1 Train is the only way to go to get to the most popular running areas. It is the first and last stop at West 242nd Street. The 4 train at Woodlawn takes you to the park’s southeastern area.

Car: The Major Deegan Expressway has two park exits: Van Cortlandt Park South, which serves the south and west portions of the park, and East 233rd Street, which serves the north and east. The Henry Hudson Parkway’s Broadway exits also serve the park. Mosholu Parkway links Van Cortlandt Park with the Bronx River and Pelham parkways. Broadway goes right by the Parade Ground. Use the highways to get to it, though it’s usually very busy. The same can be said of Jerome Avenue on the park’s eastern border.

Bus: The Bx9 travels along Broadway on the western edge of Van Cortlandt Park. The BxM3, an express line serving Manhattan, also offers access to the park’s western border. The park’s east side is served by the Bx16 and the Bx34. Westchester bus lines numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 20, and 21 also serve the park.